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Phillips Debuts Its Fall Auction Season with an Early F.P. Journe Résonance

Over the past decade, early F.P. Journe watches have moved from a relatively narrow collecting category to the top end of the market.

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Observer

Caleb Anderson

The Socialite Who Married Fiat’s Playboy King and Became Truman Capote’s Original Swan

Long before European Summer Migration had a hashtag, Marella Agnelli was doing it properly—shuttling between Turin, Capri and the Amalfi Coast on...

latest 0

Observer

Jennifer Ashley Wright

How L’Oréal Is Using A.I. to Extend a Nearly $100B Family Fortune

The beauty giant is turning ChatGPT into a storefront while expanding luxury brands and strengthening the Bettencourt Meyers family’s wealth.

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Observer

Beth Duckett

One Fine Show: “Views of Vexation of Spirit” at the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in Porto

In the absence of hope, the Duerckheim Collection shows how to find beauty in desolation.

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Observer

Dan Duray

In Saint-Tropez, a Gallery Scene Has Grown Up Alongside the Glamour

Long before the superyachts and beach clubs arrived, artists were drawn to its extraordinary Mediterranean light.

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Observer

Henry Roberts

Jean-Marc Bustamante Gives Arles a New Contemporary Art Space

More than a repository for his own work, Fonds Bustamante is a place for artists to convene.

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Observer

Elisa Carollo

The Controlled Experiment Behind Costa Smeralda, Sardinia’s Protected Luxury Coast

A private consortium, strict design codes and decades of refusal have kept Costa Smeralda exclusive, protected and largely untouched.

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Observer

Paul Jebara

A First-Timer’s Guide to the Softer Side of Ibiza, From Locals Who Get It

From Dalt Vila and Formentera to low-key wineries, beach clubs and bohemian markets, two island insiders share how to do Ibiza properly.

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Observer

Allie Lebos

Inside the First Watermill Center Summer Festival Without Robert Wilson

“Everywhere you look, Robert sets us up to have a view," RoseLee Goldberg, Performa's founder, told Observer. "Every step we take, you can be sure...

yesterday 2

Observer

Jasmine Lobe

Why the Most Compelling Luxury Hotels Start With a Point of View

Crown Creative’s Ryan Crown explores how luxury hospitality is shifting from abundance to relevance. Crown argues that as travelers more often...

yesterday 2

Observer

Ryan Crown

For Italian Automakers, Beauty Has Always Come Before Horsepower

From Ferrari's sexy racers to the iconic spiaggine of the Amalfi Coast, the country's relationship with the automobile has long been more romantic...

yesterday 3

Observer

John Scott Lewinski

How A.I. Ended the Era of Launch Here, Localize Later

Smartling’s Bryan Murphy unpacks the new realities of launching A.I. products in a global market. As generative A.I. turns every product launch into...

yesterday 2

Observer

Bryan Murphy

How Nicola Lees Recentered the Aspen Art Museum Around Artists Instead of Objects

The artistic director and CEO reflects on AIR, ArtCrush and the cross-industry partnerships supporting ambitious, place-responsive commissions in the...

yesterday 2

Observer

Elisa Carollo

Bernard Arnault’s Succession Looms as LVMH Returns to Growth

LVMH is returning to growth as the Arnault family expands its control, leaving Bernard Arnault’s succession plans under fresh scrutiny.

yesterday 2

Observer

Beth Duckett

The Ultimate Cannes Beach Club Guide, Ranked By a Summer Insider

From La Plage du Martinez and Ciro’s to quieter local favorites near Plage du Midi, Cannes rewards anyone who knows that the right sun bed is as...

yesterday 3

Observer

Caitlin White

The Best Art Galleries in Porto, Portugal

Along Rua de Miguel Bombarda and in Bonfim, the city's most compelling art spaces favor emerging and self-taught artists over the market-polished...

yesterday 4

Observer

Tamar Lortkipanidze

The Insider’s Guide to Saint-Tropez, Beyond the Yacht Parade

Saint-Tropez has never lacked theater, but the real appeal this season is in its revived hotels, smarter beach clubs, tucked-away shops and stubbornly...

yesterday 2

Observer

Paul Jebara

What the Venice Biennale Reveals About the West’s Cultural Confidence

In a multipolar society where guilt is increasingly mistaken for depth and messaging for meaning, Arbra Partners founder Lucas Bitencourt argues that...

previous day 3

Observer

Lucas Bitencourt

The Emptons: Estates Forsaken as Hamptonites Flee for European Shores

From Sagg Pond mansions on timers to yachts anchored off Portofino, the East End's wealthiest have found a new status symbol: not being there at all.

previous day 2

Observer

Richard Kirshenbaum

Why More Billionaires Are Chartering Superyachts Instead of Buying

From Elon Musk to Kim Kardashian, ultra-wealthy travelers are choosing superyacht charters for greater flexibility and privacy.

previous day 2

Observer

Rachel Curry

Why Clarity, Not Control, Will Define the Global Race to Govern A.I.

Knox’s Irina Denisenko examines how diverging approaches to A.I. regulation in the U.S., E.U. and U.K. are reshaping the global innovation...

previous day 2

Observer

Irina Denisenko

At Tales of the Cocktail, A-List Chefs Gave Food the Spotlight

With Kasama, Mei Lin, Tacos 1986, Emeril’s, Acamaya and Saffron in the mix, Tales of the Cocktail made a convincing case for food as the week’s...

previous day 2

Observer

Andy Wang

A Summer Art Road Trip Through the South of France

From Matisse in dialogue with Yves Saint Laurent in Nice to LUMA Arles and the region’s expanding network of foundations, these are the exhibitions...

previous day 2

Observer

Elisa Carollo

Despite ‘The Odyssey,’ Hollywood Still Has an Original Blockbuster Problem

While "The Odyssey" shows audiences will still embrace spectacle without a modern franchise brand, few filmmakers can command Christopher Nolan’s...

previous day 3

Observer

Brandon Katz

Carmen Argote Turns Cochineal’s Extractive History Into a Study of Embodiment

In “Soft Perimeter” at Silverlens in New York, the artist uses cochineal, linen, movement and performance to explore how matter carries physical...

previous day 4

Observer

Elisa Carollo

The Essentials With Jennifer Morrison: Book Clubs, Nantucket and 10 Minutes of Yoga

The Five-Star Weekend director shares her current favorites, from Elin Hilderbrand and Tana French to Nantucket coffee runs, Symbiome skincare and the...

previous day 2

Observer

Marissa Desantis

Rebecca Fine Launches Metis, a New Art Lender Powered by Winston Artory Group Data

Continuously updated valuations from Winston Artory Group, Fine tells Observer, will let Metis assess each collection's collateral value faster and...

previous day 3

Observer

Elisa Carollo

The Mediterranean Beach Clubs Turning Leisure Into a Status Sport

Rosé, saltwater, seafood and a well-placed lounger remain the essentials at the Mediterranean’s most compelling beach clubs.

previous day 5

Observer

Paul Jebara

Art May Hold the Key to Reclaiming Focus in a Hyper-Accelerated World

It has become increasingly difficult to escape the constant visual clutter of modern society, but artist Gail Wegodsky believes the visual arts offer...

monday 3

Observer

Gail Wegodsky

Why the Destination Art Fair Is Here to Stay

If the collector won't go to the art fair, the art fair has to go to the collector.

monday 3

Observer

Naima Morelli

How a Protected Mediterranean Island Became One of France’s Most Compelling Art Destinations

Housed in an airy subterranean space beneath a rippling ceiling of water, Fondation Carmignac is currently showing "SEA, POP & SUN." Yet to come:...

monday 8

Observer

Elisa Carollo

In Athens, Works from George Economou’s Art Collection Take Stock of the 21st Century

The billionaire art collector has amassed one of the most important and expansive private collections of contemporary art not only in Greece but...

monday 5

Observer

Elisa Carollo

How Espadrilles Became the Ultimate Mediterranean Summer Shoe

From Spanish fields to Riviera wardrobes, the rope-soled shoe has spent centuries proving that summer style is best when it looks effortless.

monday 3

Observer

Sara Delgado

The Under-the-Radar Mediterranean Islands That Still Make You Work for It

Skip the gelato lines and the yacht traffic—these islands across the Mediterranean are still worth the extra time to get there.

monday 4

Observer

Paul Jebara

Ocean Vuong On Asking Questions Without Answers

In conversation with Observer, the MacArthur fellow and bestselling novelist reflects on class, the anxiety of reinvention and who gets to be a...

25.07.2026 9

Observer

Jasmine Lobe

MOCA Rising: How New York’s Chinese American Museum Is Redefining the American Canon

"The goal isn't to make MOCA trendy but to give the museum a new platform to connect with people and help people understand why this matters."

24.07.2026 6

Observer

Christa Terry

In Sotheby’s Botero Show, Rare Works Meet a Resurgent Global Market

A trove of 1960s and '70s works from the Botero family archive offers a fresh view of a formative era of the artist's life.

24.07.2026 9

Observer

Elisa Carollo

How Tom Holland Dressed His Way From Off-the-Rack Teen to High-Fashion Leading Man

The Spider-Man star spent 14 years turning the red carpet into a second stage. As he tours Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, we look back at 21 outfits...

24.07.2026 7

Observer

Paul Jebara

One Fine Show: “Brassaï, The Secret Signs of Paris” at Moderna Museet

This is the first major Swedish presentation of the work of the photographer, filmmaker and sculptor less commonly known as Gyula Halász.

24.07.2026 7

Observer

Dan Duray

How A.I. Can Strengthen Restaurants While Keeping Hospitality Human

inKind’s Johann Moonesinghe argues that A.I.’s greatest opportunity in hospitality lies in building the infrastructure that helps independent...

24.07.2026 7

Observer

Johann Moonesinghe

Walid Mehanna on Carrying the World’s Oldest Pharma Giant Into the A.I. Era

Merck KGaA’s chief data and A.I. officer Walid Mehanna explains how governance, employee trust and startup agility are shaping enterprise adoption.

24.07.2026 4

Observer

Sissi Cao

The Hamptons Uniform: What a Man Actually Needs to Pack for a Weekend Out East

The trick out east is looking like you gave it no thought while packing like you gave it nothing else. Here is the weekend kit.

24.07.2026 5

Observer

Paul Jebara

When Mother Nature Crashed the Parrish Midsummer Gala

Storms gave way to art and philanthropy during an unforgettable evening that raised more than $1.7 million for the museum.

23.07.2026 5

Observer

Jasmine Lobe

Frisky Sexual Freeloader Makes Hamptons Plans (Janey Wilcox Never Pays for Summer)

Candace Bushnell's field notes on the Hamptons rental market, in which the going rate for a summer house turns out to be measured in favors, not...

23.07.2026 7

Observer

Candace Bushnell

Doug Aitken’s ‘Lightscape’ Turns the American Dream Into a Requiem

Arguably a contemporary opera, the work follows multiple characters in a Robert Altman-esque structure, taking viewers on a journey of extreme change.

23.07.2026 6

Observer

Elisa Carollo

Kai Yoda’s Animist Paintings and the Beast Within

Informed by recent experiences in Indonesia and a renewed engagement with animist thought, he is constructing a symbolic universe in which family...

23.07.2026 7

Observer

Elisa Carollo

The Factory Floor Is Where Agentic A.I. Matters Most

While the mainstream conversation around A.I. agents has focused on knowledge worker productivity, Fujitsu’s Indradeep Ghosh argues that the...

23.07.2026 9

Observer

Indradeep Ghosh

At Ynyshir in Wales, Gareth Ward Turns Fine Dining Into a 28-Course Party

A5 Wagyu, Japanese techniques, a live DJ and a T. rex from Ed Sheeran all have a place in Gareth Ward’s singular North Wales dining room.

23.07.2026 6

Observer

Emily Zemler

Observer’s 2026 August Art Fair Calendar

Here's (almost) everything happening on the art fair circuit this August.

23.07.2026 9

Observer

Christa Terry

Jensen Huang Turns to Japan’s Robots for Nvidia’s Next Growth Engine

A government-backed A.I. factory, new robotics partnerships and Nvidia’s Cosmos models are placing Japan at the center of Jensen Huang’s next big bet.

23.07.2026 6

Observer

Beth Duckett